Congolese activist fined for Paris museum theft

An activist has been fined €1 000 for removing an African artefact from a Paris museum in protest at France's colonial-era looting of art. Emery Diyabanza snatched a 19th century Chadian wooden funerary post from the Quai Branly museum in June in a protest that was live-streamed. BBC News reports that he said he intended to ‘claim back the stolen property of Africa’. Three other activists who joined Diyabanza’s raid received suspended fines. A fourth was cleared of the charges. A report commissioned by President Emmanuel Macron in 2018 counted about 90 000 African artefacts taken from sub-Saharan Africa. As previously reported in Legalbrief Today, French lawmakers have voted to return some prized artefacts to Benin and Senegal that were seized during the colonial era and have been displayed in Paris museums.

Full BBC News report